


From the ground up

by prolixology



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post dusting, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Reunion, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-27 19:44:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17773073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prolixology/pseuds/prolixology
Summary: “Peter, Peter, Peter,” The name becomes Tony’s mantra. “He’s coming back he’s coming back he’s going to be alive” His voice shatters on the last word, and the unbreakable Iron Man is crying.





	From the ground up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Buckets_Of_Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buckets_Of_Stars/gifts).



> So the fabulous @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars posted this fabulous head cannon and I knew I had to write something:  
> So, you know how, when Peter uh well um dies  he crumples in parts?? like his hands and legs go first and then his chest and head??  
> well, what if, when he comes back, he reforms in reverse. Like everyone else is already reformed that was on Titan and Tony is just sitting there, looking around for him cause his kid is coming back, Peter will be here any minute, he’s coming home its okay now, everything is okay   
> and then he sees a familiar foot start to reform right in front of him and then a hand and then there is a delay and Tony just immediately springs up and pushes people aside and hovers his now shaking hands over the slowly reforming body of his kid.  
> Peter chest and head finally form after about 5 minutes, and Tony is there the whole time and while crying really really hard gently holds his son close and presses kisses against his head and Peter’s first moments back on Earth and back alive is in the safety of Tony’s arms.

With a sickening crunch and a plant-shaking thud, it was finally done. A figure stood on the once mighty chest of Thanos, clad in sleek red armor and gold glistening from his left hand in the orange glow of Titan. The figure didn’t look triumphant. No, his stance was one of exhausted relief, like a tired general seeing a white flag after a heavy battle. 

“That,” Tony Stark spat. “Was for my kid.” And with those words, he raised the gauntlet with six gleaming stones above his head and snapped.

The gauntlet and the stones disappeared. Dust swirled around his feet. 

Silence. 

The dust swirls, and Stephen Strange is sitting exactly where he was nearly a year earlier, when Thanos first snapped. His eyes show relief, pride, thankfulness. He looks up. “Tony. Thank you. I’m sorry for all the pain I caused you.” 

Tony gives a soft hum in response, acknowledging his presence but his focus was elsewhere as he looked around wildly, clearly searching for something, desperately yearning. His fellow Avengers stand back, watching the man silently. 

Then, Starlord (Tony couldn’t bring himself to call him Peter) was standing there, looking dazed. Then the grey one, then the one that looks like a freaky bug. They each look around, and suddenly they’re running toward one another laughing and hugging. 

Tony’s eyes flash to Stephen. “Where is he? Why isn’t he here?” 

Stephen looks apologetic. “Everyone is coming back reverse of how they left. He’ll be here soon enough.” 

“Soon is never soon enough,” Tony muttered. “Why didn’t he come back first then?” 

“Probably the same reason he was the last to disappear the first time.” 

Tony turns away irritatedly, then freezes in place. His eyes light up, and suddenly he’s running. 

“Move! Move goddammit!” 

The Avengers fall back, clearly not wanting to get in his way. War Machine steps forward towards his friend, who’s face immediately tells him to wait. 

When Iron Man falls to his knees, the Avengers finally understand. A single glimmer of shining red stands out from the ash that’s swirling more rapidly than ever. A foot. 

“Peter, Peter, Peter,” The name becomes Tony’s mantra. “He’s coming back he’s coming back he’s going to be  _ alive”  _ His voice shatters on the last word, and the unbreakable Iron Man is crying. Somewhere, he hears Howard’s voice yelling, ‘Stark men are made of iron’ and at this moment, Tony decides he couldn’t give any less of a damn. He’s gathering the dust himself, as if he could put Peter together. Slowly, there’s another foot, and another hand. 

Behind him, he barely registers the sizzle of a portal being opened and the sounds of the other Avengers greeting their fallen in Wakanda. In front of him, he just sees Peter, the ash, Peter coming back, a hand, oh god his web shooters. And it hits Tony. After a full year, he will have Peter back. He will have his son back. 

The ash settles slowly into place, and the beginnings of a torso appear. Tony wraps his arms around it, clinging onto it more desperately than any lifeline. Something in Tony is aware that he is shaking violently, but it doesn’t matter because Peter is coming back. 

He’s formed up to his shoulders now, and Tony is still holding the kid, rocking back and forth. “He’s gonna be okay, he’s gonna be okay, he’s gonna be okay, he’s gonna-“ 

His breath hitches as a single soft curl forms, and Tony is immediately wrapping his hands through it, smoothing it down and running through it soothingly. At this point, he’s unsure if it’s for himself or Peter. He burrows his face in Peter’s neck and sobbing harder when he feels the faintest trace of a pulse. 

“Mister Stark?” 

Tony looks up, and he’s there. Perfect, smart, funny, brilliant Peter. 

“Mister  _ Stark _ ,” Peter says, his voice shaking and shattering into tears. His arms fling themselves around Tony’s back, desperately grabbing onto the armor. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re alive kiddo, god you’re alive,” Tony says, gently rocking them. “God, I missed you, Pete.”

Peter mumbles something that sounds vaguely like “missed you too”, and Tony melts again, just hearing, feeling, seeing his kid safe in his arms is enough to make him feel the joy he’s been missing the past year. 

“I love you, Peter. You’re like a son to me, I need you to know that.” 

Peter looks up, eyes watery. Tony reaches up and gently brushes away his tears with his thumb; Peter leans in to the touch. 

“Love you too, Dad.” 


End file.
